The ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP) has chided the former President, John Dramani Mahama and the General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia for their comments made during 8th NDC 'Unity Walk' in Kumasi Saturday April 28, 2018.
Speaking to NDC supporters during the 'Unity Walk', former President Mahama said, “It is a fact that if illegal mining is not controlled, water bodies and farmlands will be destroyed. But as we put a stop to illegal mining, we must apply commonsense and ensure that a livelihood package is in place for the miners'.
Former President Mahama continued that “the tactics of deploying military men to arrest illegal miners is not the way to go, because my government has done it before but it failed. The solution is to bring a new mining [law] that will regulate the activities of the minersâ€.
Responding to this, the acting NPP General Secretary, John Boadu at at a media briefing in Accra on Monday April 30, 2018, said Former President Mahama's comments were opportunistic and reckless and not befitting of a former Ghanaian leader.
"We, in the NPP have always known that the former President is a desperate politician who will do anything for political power. His comments is by far the most opportunistic and reckless comment to have been made by any former Ghanaian leader. We condemn this in no uncertain terms and call on him to do the honorable thing", he said.
He added, “fhe former President, for instance, is on record to have slammed President Nana Akufo-Addo and his government for waging a war against illegal mining and its effect on lives and the environment particularly our water bodies and forest reserves".
“He also sought to incite illegal miners against government, suggesting that, if he becomes president – which I don’t think in his wildest dream will happen because of his incompetence that he exhibited when he was given the opportunity to do so, he wouldn’t clamp down on their activities and that, he will protect their interest. How strange is that for a former president?"
John Boadu urged well-meaning Ghanaians, especially the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, to join in condemning the "unfortunate comment from John Mahama which seeks to erode all the gains that the nation has made in the fight against illegal mining".
NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia during the Unity Walk is noted to have alleged that president Akufo-Addo's administration is already making plans to legalize homosexuality despite the fact that majority of Ghanaians detest the act.
Reacting to Asiedu's Nketia's comment at the NPP press conference, John Boadu said, "the party will ordinarily not respond to such a character like Asiedu Nketia, who has reduced serious politics to comic relief, but are minded to respond because of the position he holds".
John Boadu stressed that same-sex marriages will under no circumstances be legalized under the tenure of President Akufo-Addo and urged Asiedu Nketia to focus on the affairs of his party and avoid spreading falsehood to Ghanaians.
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